Surge in Ryuk ransomware attacks has hospitals on alert

The FBI and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency have warned healthcare organisations worldwide of a significant increase in Ryuk ransomware attacks from Russia’s Wizard Spider hacker group. The ransomware is reportedly more of a risk than 2017’s WannaCry attack, with cyber security firms highlighting Wizard Spider’s dangerous lack of empathy, even amid a pandemic. SonicWall revealed that the prevalence of Ryuk has grown during 2020, making up one-third of all ransomware attacks. CISA advised healthcare providers to maintain rigorous cyber hygiene and to prepare for potential attacks.